The Russian Advance.
New York: Harper & Brothers, 1903. Hardcover. 8vo. Dark khaki green cloth with gilt lettering and decorations. v, 486pp. 2 maps. Near fine. Other than the most minor of faint binding wear, only a small hand-lettered shelf label near foot of spine. Item #49679
Handsome, quite tight first edition of Beveridge's first book -- twenty-nine essays on Russia's alarming growth and aggression that first appeared as "Saturday Evening Post" articles, here with much added appendix material. Best of all, this lovely copy is boldly inscribed by Senator Beveridge in black ink on front flyleaf to a fellow Senate colleague: "To / Senator Allison / With Sincere Regards of / Albert J Beveridge." Beveridge (1862-1927) served Indiana in the Senate (1899-1911) but is best remembered as the Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer of John Marshall and for his massive, posthumously-published biography of Abraham Lincoln. William B. Allison (1829-1908) was the powerful Iowa Republican who, as U.S. senator from that state (1873-1908), was one of the "big four" who controlled the Senate -- whom Beveridge once described admiringly as a "marvelous combination"; as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee for most of those years, he championed tariff legislation and co-authored the Bland-Allison Act of 1878; as member of the Senate Finance Committee he was often courted by U.S. presidents to hold cabinet positions. Inked note on front flyleaf (not in Allison's hand) notes probably when the senator received the book: "Washington D.C. / May 19, 05." Early 20th century bookplate on front pastedown notes "This book is part of Allison Memorial Collection Gift of Mrs. Jennie A. Brayton" and until deaccessioned was part of Allison's non-circulating collection at his hometown public library across the street from his Dubuque residence. According to Leland L. Sage in his 1956 biography "William Boyd Allison: A Study in Practical Politics," Allison owned "hundreds of books on government, economics, history, banking, finance, and the tariff [as well as] volumes of American and English literature. An omnivorous reader, Allison doubtless read most of these volumes, if only for relaxation from the strain that accompanied his efforts to solve the many problems facing the Nation...." Signed copies of Beveridge's Marshall book are scarce and desirable -- while it seems likely that Beveridge presented copies of his first book to other Senate colleagues, this presentation copy from him to Allison is the first signed copy we have encountered.
Price: $750.00